Breaking Away
Page 104
Everyone else was digging into the amazing food except for Elli and Harper. They were taking care of the girls while everyone talked about the house, the Assassins’ winning streak, and then Claire’s winning weekend. Reese could tell that Claire was a little shy with everyone gushing over her but she could see it in her eyes that she loved the attention, and so did Reese. She loved that they cared so much about Claire. That they were proud of her the way she and Phillip were. She loved being with her family and like she knew they would, Claire and Phillip fit in like a piece to their big family. She was having a blast and thankfully, no one had said anything about them being together. Instead, they all enjoyed each other’s company. The guys joked and razzed each other, while the women talked mainly about the kids and Journey coming very soon.
Reese still hated that name but looking at her sister and Jakob, she decided that as long as they were happy, nothing else mattered. When Elli sat down, she leaned back in her seat, her face flushed. That was weird and, as Reese watched her, the more she knew something was up. Especially when Elli didn’t touch the plate that Shea had made for her.
“You’re not eating?” she asked to Elli.
Everyone stopped talking, turning to Elli. Her cheeks became rosy as she shook her head. “I’m not hungry right now.”
Shea smiled next to her, kissing her cheek before taking the piece of ham off her plate. “I sure am though,” he said before taking a huge bite out of the ham. “Piper, the food is great.”
Piper grinned and said thank you but Reese was staring Elli down because something was definitely up. Elli didn’t skip meals, except when she was… “Oh my God, you’re pregnant again!”
Elli paused as everyone whipped their head’s towards her. Shea kept eating, fighting the shit-eating grin that wanted to show as Elli bit into her lip. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Elli said, sipping a glass of water. Everyone else was drinking wine, which just gave further proof to Reese’s claim.
“You are! You never pass up a glass of Fallon’s wine!”
Elli threw her hands up. “Yeah, so what! I always am.”
“Oh my God, Elli!” Harper said, shock visible all over her face. “You didn’t tell me!”
“I just found out, like yesterday,” she groaned. Shea on the other hand, was smiling as he devoured the food in front of him.
“Jeez, don’t you know what birth control is?” Piper teased with a shake of her head.
“Didn’t you get pregnant on birth control?” Erik asked her, and she set him with a glare.
“No one asked you,” she snapped quickly.
“I know, believe me, this was not planned!” Elli admitted with a groan.
Everyone laughed as Shea wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her loudly on the lips. “I promise, last one.”
“Damn right it is,” she scoffed. “I’m getting my uterus taken out just to be sure your super sperm don’t have anywhere to go.”
That had everyone laughing, and then it died down as everyone congratulated the two. Rowan kissed and hugged Elli tightly before squeezing Shea’s arm. “What are you hoping for?”
Elli shrugged her shoulders. “I have two of both. I really don’t care, and I think we are going to wait until it comes to know. A big surprise for all of us.”
“That’s nice.” Rowan grinned and everyone was smiling, excited for the new additions that were coming to the family.
When Elli turned from Rowan and pinned Reese with a look, causing her to pause mid-bite, she asked, “What?”
“Well, since you threw my business on the dinner table, why don’t we turn the tables?”
Reese shook her head as her heart sped up. “I don’t see what that would accomplish,” she said, putting her fork down. “No table turning needed, Mrs. Adler.”
“Oh, it will accomplish a lot. So just answer me this, Ms. Allen, are you and my leading scorer serious?”
Everyone eyes fell on them, all obviously wondering the same thing. Hoping to change the subject to hockey, Reese turned to Phillip and asked, “You’re the leading scorer?”
He nodded, a grin pulling at his lips as he gave her an exaggerated wink. “On and off the ice, sweetheart.”
The guys all laughed at that as Reese smacked him in the shoulder playfully. “Oh hush.”
“No, really, inquiring minds would love to know what is going on,” Harper said with a grin.
“Yes, are y’all together? Did Phillip break through my sister’s walls and make her want to settle down?” Piper asked with a laugh, while Reese set her with a look that could kill. When she glanced over at Phillip, he was just smiling as he shook his head.
“Something is going on. I did catch them in the Assassins’ shower together,” Shea said, like he was asking for someone to pass the butter. Reese was mortified as her mother and father both sent her a surprised look, their mouths falling open, as Piper and Harper giggled together. Erik laughed as Jakob just shook his head, and Claire kept eating her carrots. Reese ducked her head, covering her face as she begged for this moment to end.
Elli pulled back, smacking him loudly on arm, before yelling, “Shea! Claire is in the room, and what the hell, Phillip? You know better than that!”
“Sorry boss,” Phillip muttered.
Shea looked across at a wide-eyed Claire, who was also grinning, and said, “They were swimming.”
Reese still hated that name but looking at her sister and Jakob, she decided that as long as they were happy, nothing else mattered. When Elli sat down, she leaned back in her seat, her face flushed. That was weird and, as Reese watched her, the more she knew something was up. Especially when Elli didn’t touch the plate that Shea had made for her.
“You’re not eating?” she asked to Elli.
Everyone stopped talking, turning to Elli. Her cheeks became rosy as she shook her head. “I’m not hungry right now.”
Shea smiled next to her, kissing her cheek before taking the piece of ham off her plate. “I sure am though,” he said before taking a huge bite out of the ham. “Piper, the food is great.”
Piper grinned and said thank you but Reese was staring Elli down because something was definitely up. Elli didn’t skip meals, except when she was… “Oh my God, you’re pregnant again!”
Elli paused as everyone whipped their head’s towards her. Shea kept eating, fighting the shit-eating grin that wanted to show as Elli bit into her lip. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Elli said, sipping a glass of water. Everyone else was drinking wine, which just gave further proof to Reese’s claim.
“You are! You never pass up a glass of Fallon’s wine!”
Elli threw her hands up. “Yeah, so what! I always am.”
“Oh my God, Elli!” Harper said, shock visible all over her face. “You didn’t tell me!”
“I just found out, like yesterday,” she groaned. Shea on the other hand, was smiling as he devoured the food in front of him.
“Jeez, don’t you know what birth control is?” Piper teased with a shake of her head.
“Didn’t you get pregnant on birth control?” Erik asked her, and she set him with a glare.
“No one asked you,” she snapped quickly.
“I know, believe me, this was not planned!” Elli admitted with a groan.
Everyone laughed as Shea wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her loudly on the lips. “I promise, last one.”
“Damn right it is,” she scoffed. “I’m getting my uterus taken out just to be sure your super sperm don’t have anywhere to go.”
That had everyone laughing, and then it died down as everyone congratulated the two. Rowan kissed and hugged Elli tightly before squeezing Shea’s arm. “What are you hoping for?”
Elli shrugged her shoulders. “I have two of both. I really don’t care, and I think we are going to wait until it comes to know. A big surprise for all of us.”
“That’s nice.” Rowan grinned and everyone was smiling, excited for the new additions that were coming to the family.
When Elli turned from Rowan and pinned Reese with a look, causing her to pause mid-bite, she asked, “What?”
“Well, since you threw my business on the dinner table, why don’t we turn the tables?”
Reese shook her head as her heart sped up. “I don’t see what that would accomplish,” she said, putting her fork down. “No table turning needed, Mrs. Adler.”
“Oh, it will accomplish a lot. So just answer me this, Ms. Allen, are you and my leading scorer serious?”
Everyone eyes fell on them, all obviously wondering the same thing. Hoping to change the subject to hockey, Reese turned to Phillip and asked, “You’re the leading scorer?”
He nodded, a grin pulling at his lips as he gave her an exaggerated wink. “On and off the ice, sweetheart.”
The guys all laughed at that as Reese smacked him in the shoulder playfully. “Oh hush.”
“No, really, inquiring minds would love to know what is going on,” Harper said with a grin.
“Yes, are y’all together? Did Phillip break through my sister’s walls and make her want to settle down?” Piper asked with a laugh, while Reese set her with a look that could kill. When she glanced over at Phillip, he was just smiling as he shook his head.
“Something is going on. I did catch them in the Assassins’ shower together,” Shea said, like he was asking for someone to pass the butter. Reese was mortified as her mother and father both sent her a surprised look, their mouths falling open, as Piper and Harper giggled together. Erik laughed as Jakob just shook his head, and Claire kept eating her carrots. Reese ducked her head, covering her face as she begged for this moment to end.
Elli pulled back, smacking him loudly on arm, before yelling, “Shea! Claire is in the room, and what the hell, Phillip? You know better than that!”
“Sorry boss,” Phillip muttered.
Shea looked across at a wide-eyed Claire, who was also grinning, and said, “They were swimming.”
